The comments came ahead of a #summit in #London on Sunday, where #Starmer met w/ President Volodymyr #Zelensky of #Ukraine & other European leaders to discuss the #war. The gathering took on greater urgency after Zelensky’s meeting w/ #Trump & #JDVance on Friday raised fears the US would try to strong-arm Ukraine’s president into making a #peace deal on whatever terms the Americans [#Putin] dictated.
#Starmer said that he, Pres #Zelensky & Pres #Macron of #France had agreed they “would work on a plan for stopping the fighting & then discuss that plan w/the US.” Any #peace agreement “is going to need a US backstop,” Starmer added, saying British & #US teams were discussing the idea.
Sunday’s #summit was first set up to inform European leaders about Starmer’s meeting w/ #Trump. But it gained new importance after Friday, making supporting #Ukraine & beefing up their defenses more critical.
#Britain on Saturday announced a nearly $3B loan to #Ukraine aimed at bolstering the #war-torn country’s #military capability. It will be paid back using profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets, & the first tranche of funding is expected to be disbursed to Ukraine next week, Britain’s Treasury said.
#Europe’s leaders pledged to assemble a European “coalition of the willing” to develop a plan for ending Ukraine’s war w/ #Russia, which they hope could win the backing of #Trump.
On Sunday in, #Europe wrapped Pres #Zelensky in a warm embrace. He won expressions of support from the 18 assembled leaders, including Pres #Macron of #France, Chancellor Olaf #Scholz of #Germany & PM #GiorgiaMeloni of #Italy. After meeting them, he was scheduled to visit #KingCharles III at his country estate, Sandringham, NE of London.
Yet behind the carefully choreographed show of solidarity, there was a recognition that keeping the #UnitedStates on board remains critical.
The #summit meeting has thrust #Starmer into an unaccustomed place for a British prime minister: at the heart of #Europe during a crisis. >8 years after the country voted to leave the #EU, the rapidly changing #security landscape is driving #Britain closer to the continent.
Catherine Ashton, a Briton who served as the EU’s high representative for #ForeignAffairs & security policy, said Starmer’s successful meeting w/ #Trump had reinforced his credentials as a leader for Europe.
